 In preparation for the 114th French Open, Richard Mille unveiled the new RM 27-02 tourbillon, a watch made for Rafael Nadal. Nadal will be vying for his tenth title at the French Open while wearing the new RM 27-02. This is the fifth watch to have been born out of the partnership between Nadal and Richard Mille. Starting in 2010 with the RM 027, followed by the RM 035 in 2011, the RM 27-01 in 2013, and finally the RM 335-01 in 2014. The new 27-02 is arguably the best of them all. Limited to 50 pieces, the bezel and case are the first of their kind.  The bezel and case are made from NTPT carbon and Quartz TPT, a new material developed by Richard Mille and North Thin Ply Technology. These layers, made from separating silicon threads, are no thicker than 45 microns and are soaked in a resin then inserted between layers of NTPT carbon using an automatic positioning system. What will become the case/bezel is then heated to 120 degrees Celsius, and subjected to a pressure of 6 bars in an autoclave similar to those used to make aeronautical components. After this has taken place the material is ready for machining on a CNC machine at Richard Mille’s case factory, Proart. Machining reveals the various TPT Quartz layers at random, ensuring that each is unique. Another noteworthy feature is the torque limiting crown, which prevents overwinding. Only available for collectors with the deepest of pockets, the watch sells for 770,000 Euros or about $850,000.   
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Jake Fogarty is the founder of It's All About Watches and writer for most of what you will read here. If you want to contact me you can visit the contact and advertising page.
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